The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-07-28
CAPTURE OF WAR FLAGS.


rymrathics of the people and soldiers Of the
south
CAPTURE OF WAR FLAGS.
II am not surprised" said Gen.
Theodore +. Rodenbough to me today,
'.that, in spite of the interest taken in
the matter of the proposed return of the
confederate flags, SO little should have
been said about the men who captured
the flags and how these were captured.
For know from personal experience
that it is exceedingly difficult to collect
the material unless one has been over
the ground before"
Gen. Rodenbough is an authority on
the subject. for he only recently collect
I'd the material for his work on s.Uncle
Sans Medal Of Honor This medal
of honor was instituted by Congress
during the late war for deeds of person.
al bravery. and naturally many captors
of confederate flags were decorated with
it. Messrs. T. p. Putnam & Sons have
courteouSly placed the results of Gen.
Rodenboush's labors at my disposal.
The medal Of honor was established
BY law approved July y. 1862.
II is described as five-pointed star,
containing crown Of laurel and oak
in the middle. within a circle of "a
stars. America, personitied as Miner
va, stands with her left hand resting on
the fasces, while, with her right, in
which she holds a shield emblazoned
with the American arms, she repulses
discord. represented by two snakes in
each hand. the whole suspended by
trophy of two crossed cannons. balls.
and a swor |. surmounted by the Ameri-
can eagle. which is united by ribbon
Of l3 stripes, palewise, gules and argent
and chief azure, to a clasp composed
Of two cornucopias and the American
arms.
One of the first of the Union soldiers.
indeed. probably the first, to capture
confederate flag was Sergt. John &.
Merritt, lst Minnesota Infantry. 1t was
AT THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN.
He describes the capture as follows:
Il applied to Lieut.. Holtzborn Of my
company for the privilege Of selecting
four men for the purpose Of capturing
the first confederate flag we could get.
The lieutenant told me it was hazard
Gus undertaking, but said, after con-
sultation with Capt. Lester, had per-
mission. The man who
carried the colors was about 5 feet 10
or II inches, dark complexioned, with
black hair, slight moustache and black
eyes, he, with others about him, wore
gray clothes and black SLOUGH hats:
some one was trying to form them. The
color bearer had his coat unbuttoned.
with his hat on the back of his head. As
got within couple Of feet of him
commanded him in peremptory man.
ner to surrender. and at the same time
Dudley, Durfee and myself cooked our
guns. | grabbed the colors out of his
hand; he and one or two more said:
Don't shoot! don't shoot
1.-The flag was red one with white
stripe running through the middle of it,
with blue in one corner and some stars
on it. As soon as grabbed the colors
out of the Johnny's hand l told him to
follow me quick. and at the same TIME
told my men to get back to the regi-
ment AS soon as possible. Dudley,
Grim and myself were laughing at the
easy thing we had, and all of US run
ming for the regiment as fast as we
could 60, when-bang! bang! bang!
came yolley after us, killing Grim and
the comrade, whose name ! have for
gotten
Corp. Weeks of the 152d New York
volunteers captured flag and its guard
in the fight for the salient-the famous
bloody angle-at Spottsylvania. He
tells an interesting story of the capture
and Of his subsequent meeting with
Gen. Hancock on the battlefield. II
saw the enemy" he says, '.give way at
this time on the right wing, and amongst
the rest was
STAND OF COLORs AND COLOR GUARD.
These men fired their muskets i'm a vol
ley and broke for the rear. They had
to pass down out front to get out of the
angle, and would have succeeded. but
made up my mind as soon as saw
them start that must have those colors.
l had also fired my gun, but had no
time to reload. l ran up to the sergeant
and snatched his colors from him, threw
them on the ground and put my foot on
them, cooked my empty gun and told
them the first one of them that moved
out Of his tracks would shoot him
down, and ordered them to throw down
their guns and surrender. The SER
geant said to them, Boys, they've got
the colors and, we 60 with them When
got back to our line with the colors
and my prisoners, Col. Curtiss told me
to take them away. for we might get
driven back any moment.
Il reerossed the works and started
out for our rear, when / met Gen.
Hancock and staff going to the front.
AS he passed saluted him. He re-
turned the salute and said, What have
you got thcre?' told him a stand OF
colors | had captured in the front.
He then asked me if those were my pris-
oners. told him they were. He looked
ut some of his staff and smiled Il thought
at the time little incredulously), for
there were five or six lusty rebels, and
! was at that time IL years old. Then
he said: You deliver your prisoners
to the provost marshal. and write YOUR